This Saturday at the Payson Event Center, the second annual Mogollon Monster Mudder 5K Run will kick off at 9 a.m. sharp.

A new event at last year’s Rim Country’s yearly Mountain High Games, the Mudder 5K (3.1 miles) run is a test of grit, determination and good traction.

The course is a mountain trail with both natural and man-made obstacles, challenging ups and downs, rocky, wooded and wet terrain, shallow water crossings and, of course, more mud than the Rim Country has seen since last summer’s monsoon season.

Men, women and youth from all over the state of Arizona will navigate under, over and through the mud and the muck of more than 30 grueling obstacles along the course.

“This year’s event is going to be even bigger and better than last’s year’s inaugural run,” said Kaprice Bachtell, special events coordinator for the Payson Parks, Recreation and Tourism Department.

“We’re expecting between four and five hundred individual and team participants in this year’s run, doubling the number that ran last year.

“And this year’s race will be even more challenging than last year’s. We’ve increased the elevation of the volcano mountain obstacle and added a new mystery obstacle to our already demanding course.”

The registration fee for the Mudder 5K run is $70 and will be taken through the morning of the event. For more information, call Bachtell at (928) 474-5242, extension 7.

There’s just no doubt about it, this year’s Mudder 5K run is going to be a very muddy affair. Participants may even drive away with a little mud on the tires.

This week’s question

Can you name the singer/songwriter/gui­tarist who produced the 2004 No. 1 hit “Mud on the Tires”?

This West Virginia country singer debuted on the charts in 1999 with “Who Needs Pictures,” which peaked at No. 12. Within the next year, his two hits, “He Didn’t Have to Be” and “We Danced” both went to No. 1. His songs are frequently laced with humor and pop culture references. This popular artist has recorded nine studio albums and a Christmas compilation on the Arista Nashville label, with all of his albums certified gold or higher. In addition, as of 2013, he has scored 32 Top-10 singles on the U.S. Billboard Hot Country Songs chart, 18 of which have reached No. 1. He held the record of 10 consecutive singles reaching the top spot on the chart. With Carrie Underwood, he has been the host of many Country Music Asso­ciation award shows.

Among this artist’s top songs are “I’m Gonna Miss Her” (The Fishin’ Song), “She’s Everything” and “Waitin’ on a Woman.”

If you’re caller number five and have the correct answer, you’ll win a CD of your favorite artist or genre.

Last week’s question

Last week’s trivia question asked if you could name the pop vocal group that introduced the 1959 Top-40 hit “Graduation’s Here.”

This Olympia, Wash. trio was one of America's most popular doo-wop groups in the late 1950s and early 1960s. In addition to “Graduation’s Here,” the trio had three songs make it into Billboard’s Top 10, with “Tragedy,” “Mr. Blue” and its smash No. 1 hit “Come Softly to Me.”

The choices were A) The Fleetwoods, B) The Belmonts, C) The Classics, and D) The Monotones.

The correct answer was the Fleetwoods.

Each of the other choices was also a top-notch doo-wop group. (Dion and) the Belmonts scored big hits with “Runaround Sue,” “The Wanderer” and “Ruby Baby.” The Classics recorded the early ’60s favorites “Blue Moon” and “Till Then,” while the Monotones earned induction into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame with their 1958 one-hit-wonder “Book of Love.”

Congratulations to last week’s multiple-time music trivia winner, Cheryl Williams.

A couple of final notes

This Saturday night the Parks & Rec’s nine-week outdoor concert series starts at Green Valley Park. Concerts are free and are from 7 p.m. to 9 p.m.

Returning to Payson this Saturday will be the Mesa-based, always popular a cappella doo-wop group, MC6. The sextet will be singing your favorite, sweet and harmonic songs of the mid-1950s through the early-1960s.

With the beautiful evenings we’ve been having lately in Payson, it should be a wonderful night for both the young and young-at-heart to enjoy the fun and sing-along songs from yesteryear.